UN chief deplores DPRK's missile launches

UNITED NATIONS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Thursday deplored the recent missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), urging it to work for building confidence and mutual trust with its neighbors.

"The secretary-general deplores the continued missile launches conducted by the DPRK. These launches clearly violate the resolutions of the Security Council banning the DPRK from conducting any launch using ballistic missile technology," said a note released to the press here by the UN Spokesperson's office. " The secretary-general urges the DPRK instead to work towards building confidence and mutual trust with its neighbors."

The note said the secretary-general is in close contact with all concerned parties and continues to explore constructive ways to assist in the collective work toward peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The DPRK on Monday fired some 100 rounds of artillery shells into its eastern waters from a region just north of the military demarcation line, said officials with the military of the Republic of Korea.

It was the DPRK's 15th launch of missiles or artillery shells this year. The DPRK launched more than 90 short- and medium-range missiles and shells since Feb. 21.

On July 13, the DPRK fired two short-range ballistic missiles, presumed to be Scud, into the eastern waters from the northern area of its southern border city of Kaesong, some 20 kilometers north of the military demarcation line. The missiles flew about 500 kilometers.

The DPRK also fired two short-range missiles, also presumed to be Scud, from a site in Hwanghae Province, some 40 kilometers north of the military demarcation line, in a northeasterly direction into its eastern waters on July 9.

The DPRK launched two Scud missiles into its east waters on June 29 after firing three KN-09 shells with a range of 190 kilometers on June 26.

A ROK government source was quoted by local media as saying that ROK and the United States will raise the issue of the DPRK's recent missile launches with the UN Security Council.

The launches came ahead of a joint maritime exercise that will involve U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington and the ROK battleships in southern and southwestern waters off the Korean Peninsula from July 16-21.